Geranium plant named ‘Duebertinostar’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy  Geranium  plant named ‘Duebertinostar’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; and light red and light pink bi-colored double flowers.

Botanical denomination: Pelargonium peltatum.

Cultivar designation: ‘Duebertinostar’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of IvyGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duebertinostar’.

The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new compact and freely-flowering IvyGeraniums with attractive flower and foliage colors.

The new Ivy Geranium is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of aproprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as code numberE-02-05, not patented. The cultivar Duebertinostar was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within a population ofplants of the parent selection in a controlled environment in Rheinberg,Germany in May, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingsat Rheinberg, Germany since May, 2003 has shown that the unique featuresof this new Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duebertinostar’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Duebertinostar’ as a new cultivar anddistinguish it from the other known Ivy Geranium cultivars:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Freely basal branching habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Light red and light pink bi-colored double flowers.

Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of theparent selection in flower color as plants of the parent selection havelight red-colored flowers.

The new Ivy Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivarDuebertino, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,751. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new IvyGeranium differed from plants of the cultivar Duebertino in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium were shorter but broader than        plants of the cultivar Duebertino.    -   2. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had larger leaves with longer        petioles than plants of the cultivar Duebertino.    -   3. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had larger flowers than plants        of the cultivar Duebertino.    -   4. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium and the cultivar Duebertino        differed in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar        Duebertino had light red-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower andfoliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Ivy Geranium. The photograph comprises aside perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duebertinostar’grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Duebertinostar has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the summer undercommercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and nighttemperatures about 18° C. and light levels about 4,500 foot-candles.Plants were grown in 10.5 cm containers. Plants were pinched about threeweeks after planting. Plants were about eight weeks from unrootedcuttings when the photograph and the detailed botanical description weretaken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar    Duebertinostar.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary    selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as code number E-02-05,    not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 20° C.            Winter: About 7 days at 20° C.        -   Time to develop roots.—Summer: About three weeks at 20° C.            Winter: About four weeks at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine; fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Upright and outwardly spreading plant            habit, rounded plant form; densely foliated.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely            basal branching, about five lateral branches per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 15 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Internode length:            About 3.7 cm. Texture: Smooth. Color: 144A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Length:            About 6.5 cm. Width: About 7.8 cm. Shape: Reniform. Apex:            Acute. Base: Peltate. Margin: Crenate. Venation pattern:            Palmate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage,            upper surface: 137A; zonation pattern, faint, 147A in color            and about 6 mm in width. Developing and fully expanded            foliage, lower surface: 137C. Venation, upper surface: 144A.            Venation, lower surface: 144B. Petiole: Length: About            4.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: 144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement.—Light red and light pink bi-colored            double flowers arranged in rounded hemispherical umbels            arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayed above the            foliage on upright peduncles. Flowers rounded in form.            Umbels persistent, flowers not persistent. Flowers not            fragrant.        -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; plants have about            seven open umbels with about eight to nine flowers per            umbel.        -   Flowering season.—Flowering continuous spring through            summer.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on            the plant.        -   Umbel size.—Diameter: About 7.5 cm. Height: About 5 cm.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.9 cm. Depth (height): About 2            cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.25 cm. Diameter: About 6.3 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: 144A.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About            2.9 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded.            Base: Attenuate. Margin: Sinuate. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth. Color: When opening and fully opened,            upper surface: Center, 69D; towards the margin and            longitudinal stripes, 46B; towards the base, 60C to 60D;            color towards the margin and longitudinal stripes becoming            closer to 46C with development. When opening and fully            opened, lower surface: Center, 69D; towards the margin and            longitudinal stripes, 46D.        -   Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About four to six. Length:            About 2.6 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex:            Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Sinuate. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: When opening and fully            opened, upper surface: Center, 69D; towards the margin and            longitudinal stripes, 46B. When opening and fully opened,            lower surface: Center, 69D; towards the margin and            longitudinal stripes, 46B.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five or six, arranged in            a single whorl. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 3 mm.            Shape: Elongated, tapering. Apex: Apiculate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 144A to 144B.        -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 11.8 cm. Diameter:            About 1 cm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.        -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2 cm.            Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately            strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower:            About seven to eight. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther            shape: Ovate. Anther color: 47C. Pollen amount: Moderate.            Pollen color: 28A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower:            One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Stigma shape: Crested.            Stigma color: 46A to 46B. Style length: About 3 mm. Style            color: 2D. Ovary color: Close to 144A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Development of seeds and fruit have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Ivy    Geraniums.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have been    observed to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 5° to 40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant named‘Duebertinostar’, as herein illustrated and described.